San Joaquin Delta College trustees voted unanimously to place a $598 million bond measure on the November ballot which, if approved by voters, would provide money to upgrade college facilities.
The bond would help address the most urgent improvements needed across all Delta College campuses, such as fixing old plumbing, repairing leaky roofs, upgrading classrooms and labs, and improving student safety.
“Delta College trains community members for higher-paying careers in important local fields like agriculture, robotics, law enforcement, and healthcare,” Delta Superintendent/President Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson said. “To continue providing these programs, we urgently need to upgrade and repair our facilities to meet today’s academic and safety standards.”
It’s been 20 years since Delta last proposed a bond for voter approval. The 2004 passage of Measure L allowed the school to build a new math and science building, upgrade career education shops, upgrade training facilities for first responders, and improve student technology, among many other projects. Subsequent refinancing of the bond saved taxpayers nearly $26 million.
Measure L is the only bond measure that has been passed in the half century since the College’s current Stockton campus was built.
“The decision to propose a bond measure in November 2024 is a landmark moment in the history of Delta College,” said Board of Trustees President Charles Jennings. “We must improve our aging facilities so that we can continue to provide a high-quality, affordable education for tens of thousands of students each year.”